The present invention relates to radial compressors, and in particular, to radial compressors with blades tuned according to natural frequency.
Gas turbine engines typically include several sections such as a compressor section, a combustor chamber, and a turbine section. In some gas turbine engines, the compressor section includes a radial compressor with a series of main blades and splitter blades connected by a disc. During operation of the gas turbine engine, the main blades and splitter blades can be subject to vibratory excitation at frequencies which coincide with integer multiples, referred to as harmonics, of the radial compressor's rotational frequency. As a result of the vibratory excitation, the main blades and/or the splitter blades can undergo vibratory deflections that create vibratory stress on the blades. If the vibratory excitation occurs in an expected operating speed range of the radial compressor, the vibratory stresses can create high cycle fatigue and cracks over time.